Scottish Executive

Economic Development

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21786 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002, whether the £6 million set aside for the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan for economic development for the area has been made available and, if so, when the funds were made available and to whom.

Iain Gray: The funding for the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan is spread over three years and is available as from this financial year. Scottish Enterprise is administering the funds on behalf of the West Lothian Economic Partnership.

Enterprise

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monies spent by the Motorola Task Force have been used to pay for staff from the Inland Revenue, the Benefits Agency and other United Kingdom government departments and why it was necessary to pay for these services from the funds available to the task force.

Iain Gray: None.

Enterprise

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many former staff of the Motorola plant at Easter Inch are (a) in full-time employment on a pay scale equal to or greater than that which they enjoyed at Motorola, (b) in full-time employment on a pay scale lower than that which they enjoyed at Motorola, (c) in full-time education funded by Motorola, (d) in full-time education funded by central government, (e) self-employed, (f) unemployed and (g) in other circumstances.

Iain Gray: The Motorola Taskforce (MTF) was able to make contact with 2,631 redundant employees of the Motorola plant at Easter Inch. Of these there are 2,099 in employment (this figure excludes self-employed and details as to part-/full-time are not available). Of this number, only 1,506 chose to answer the question relating to pay scales and 806 claimed to have attained a similar or higher salary level.

  One hundred and forty-four former staff are in full-time education. A recent survey of those in further and higher education showed that 48 had been funded by Motorola (the company itself).

  Fifty-five former staff are self-employed; 124 are actively seeking work; 169 are in other circumstances (retired, sick, taking a break, emigrated); 40 chose not to avail themselves of MTF services, and 448 have been uncontactable by the MTF.

Enterprise

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £10 million set aside for use by the Motorola Task Force (a) has been spent by the Task Force, (b) is projected to be spent, (c) has been re-allocated to other priorities and (d) will still be made available to support the West Lothian economy.

Iain Gray: On 25 April 2001, Wendy Alexander announced in Parliament that the Scottish Executive was setting aside up to £10 million to help fund the Motorola Taskforce's action plan. On 19 December 2001, Wendy Alexander further announced that the Scottish Executive would provide £6 million (from the up to £10 million which had been set aside) to the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan. The aim of the plan is to provide a three-year programme of specific actions to help get the West Lothian economy back on the growth track, and will commence imminently.

  Expenditure reports from Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothians (SEEL) for the financial year 2001-02 show costs of £3.3 million. SEEL's projected costs for the financial year 2002-03 are £150,000. The total costs from both the financial years amount to £3.45 million.

  No other monies will be provided to support the West Lothian economy from this budget.

Enterprise

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status of the Motorola Task Force is.

Iain Gray: From 1 July 2002, the activities of the Motorola Taskforce were dispersed although a range of support and advice for former employees is still available from all the public agencies involved.

Enterprise

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether training opportunities through the Institute for System Level Integration were provided for former employees of Motorola's Easter Inch plant.

Iain Gray: I understand that a number of the former employees of the Motorola Easter Inch plant have been taken on by the Institute for System Level Integration (ISLI) via the normal MSc recruitment channels, with individuals accessing existing support mechanisms.

  No training opportunities for ISLI were specifically provided by the Motorola Taskforce.

Enterprise

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it evaluates task forces like the one set up for former Motorola employees at Easter Inch; what criteria it uses in such evaluations, and whether such an evaluation has been carried out on the Motorola Task Force and, if so, whether it will publish any findings.

Iain Gray: An evaluation of Motorola Taskforce (MTF) activity has been commissioned by Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian on behalf of the Taskforce and is currently in the final stages of preparation. The final report is due at the end of July at which time decisions will be taken as to publication and distribution of the findings.

  The MTF action plan set targets at the outset to evaluate the effectiveness of the response and to identify learning points and best practice. The objectives of the evaluation include:

  Mapping the process (including influencing factors; organisations involved; actions taken; and identification and analysis of outputs);

  Impact assessment (impact of intervention and other measure of effectiveness), and

  Recommendations (identification of learning points/good practice; recommendations for future redundancy responses).

Enterprise

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much state aid has been given to Fullerton Computer Industries in Ayrshire in each of the last five years and whether any such aid has been repaid.

Iain Gray: There are no central records of state aid payments to individual companies. However we have been able to establish that in July 1997 Fullarton Computer Industries Limited's operation in Kilwinning was offered Regional Selective Assistance amounting to £600,000. The company did not meet the conditions necessary for full payment of grant but was paid £350,000 based on what was achieved.

  Support was also granted by Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire of £30,000 in July 1999, £3,361 in November 2001 and £22,110 in June 2002.

  No aid has been repaid, nor is there any remaining contractual obligations requiring repayment.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, on what date the adjustment figure to the Scottish Assigned Budget for 2000-01 was agreed; what the figure is, and when the monies will be received.

Mr Andy Kerr: A further adjusted figure in respect of 2000-01 for council tax rebate was agreed in February 2002. An addition to the Scotland DEL for 2002-03 of £2.006 million in respect of the adjustment for 2000-01 will be picked up in the Autumn Budget Revision in December.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, when the adjustment figure to the Scottish Assigned Budget for 2001-02 will be finalised; what it expects the figure to be, and when the monies will be paid.

Mr Andy Kerr: A figure of £3.066 million has been agreed for 2001-02 in respect of council tax benefit. It will be picked up in the Autumn Budget Revision in December. It will be subject to revision in light of outturn for 2001-02, when known, and will not therefore be finalised until February 2003.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether an adjustment figure to the Scottish Assigned Budget has been agreed for housing benefit for 2000-01; if so, when that agreement was reached; what the figure is, and when the monies will be received.

Mr Andy Kerr: An adjusted figure of £0.329 million was agreed in February 2002 for 2000-01 in respect of rent rebate. It will be picked up in the Autumn Budget Revision in December.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, when the adjustment figure to the Scottish Assigned Budget for housing benefit for 2001-02 will be finalised; what it expects the figure to be, and when the monies will be paid.

Mr Andy Kerr: A figure of £8.218 million has been agreed for 2001-2002 in respect of rent rebate. It will be picked up in the Autumn Budget Revision in December. It will be subject to revision in light of outturn for 2001-02, when known, and will not therefore be finalised until early 2003.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether any monies were paid to the Scottish Consolidated Fund as a result of adjustments prior to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services on 23 January 2002 and, if so, whether the Deputy Minister was aware of the position when he made that statement.

Mr Andy Kerr: No monies were paid to the Scottish Consolidated Fund prior to the Statement.

Knowledge Economy

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the article by Douglas Friedli in Business AM on 26 June 2002, whether its strategy on the creation of a knowledge economy will be changed following research by Strathclyde University suggesting a divergence between the industries on which the strategy focuses and those that use skilled staff and technology most.

Iain Gray: The Executive's economic policies focus on quality, high-value added activity and high skilled jobs, wherever these are found in the economy. They are not wedded to any particular industry-based definition of knowledge economy activity. The Executive encourages enterprises to move up the value chain in any industry.

  Internationally accepted definitions such as the OECD definition of the "knowledge economy" are helpful and relevant in that they give a broad picture of Scotland's performance in those industries producing knowledge-based products. However, as with any industry-based definition of knowledge economy activity, there are limitations to the OECD definition. Such limitations are considered in the interpretation and use of such statistical sources.

Pensions

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5388 by Mr Andy Kerr on 20 June 2002, whether it intends to introduce legislation during the remainder of the Parliament's first session to protect fully the pension rights of transferred employees, detailing under which section of the Scotland Act 1998 its power to do so is conferred.

Mr Andy Kerr: Existing guidance issued by the Government in 2000 - Staff Transfers in the Public Sector - already covers such situations.

Planning

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would call in the application by Border Biofuels Limited to build an experimental biomass power plant close to the village of Whiting Bay on the Isle of Arran, currently lodged with North Ayrshire Council.

Hugh Henry: North Ayrshire Council do not currently have such a planning application before them.

Planning

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether North Ayrshire Council should reconsider the outline planning permission granted to Border Biofuels Limited in relation to the building of an experimental biomass power plant close to the village of Whiting Bay on the Isle of Arran given that, since permission was granted to Border Biofuels Limited, the company has declared all existing staff redundant and recorded the resignation of all existing directors.

Hugh Henry: This is a matter for North Ayrshire Council, as planning authority, to consider.

Planning

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether National Planning Policy Guideline 11 will be applied to any redevelopment of Croy Station and to the provision of temporary parking facilities during any such redevelopment and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Hugh Henry: National Planning Policy Guidelines (NPPGs) provide statements of Scottish Executive policy on nationally important land use and other planning matters. It is for the decision-maker (normally the planning authority) to assess the weight to be afforded to NPPGs and other relevant issues when reaching a decision.

Post Office

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24454 by Allan Wilson on 22 April 2002, what matters were discussed at the meeting with members of the Consignia Advisory Board for Scotland on 2 May 2002 and when the next such meeting is planned.

Allan Wilson: I met Dr Lesley Sawers, Chairman of the Consignia Advisory Board for Scotland, on 2 May. The discussion covered the full range of Consignia current and future operations in Scotland. No further meetings with the Consignia Board are planned at present.

Post Office

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24454 by Allan Wilson on 22 April 2002, what plans it has to meet trade union representatives to discuss how the recent Consignia restructuring proposals will affect services in Scotland.

Allan Wilson: We have received invitations to meet representatives of the Communication Workers Union and these are being considered.

Regional Selective Assistance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it allocated the £16.75 million in Regional Selective Assistance recovered from Motorola at the time of the closure of the Easter Inch plant and how much of that money has been spent in generating new centres of employment in West Lothian or in supporting and improving the transport and communications infrastructure of the area.

Iain Gray: On 25 April 2001, Wendy Alexander announced in the Parliament that the Scottish Executive was setting aside up to £10 million to help fund the Motorola Taskforce's action plan. Expenditure reports from Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian (SEEL) for the financial year 2001-02 show costs to date of £3.3 million for the activity of the Motorola Taskforce (MTF). SEEL's projected costs for the financial year 2002-03 are £150,000. The total costs from both financial years amount to £3.45 million.

  On 19 December 2001 Wendy Alexander further announced in the Parliament that the Scottish Executive will provide £6 million (of the up to £10 million which had been set aside) to the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan for economic development for the area. The aim of the Plan is to provide a three-year programme of specific actions to help get the West Lothian economy back on the growth track, and this work is currently under way.

  All recoveries of Regional Selective Assistance are returned to the Executive's budget, in line with normal procedure.